01 · Who Desiree works with

Desiree works with stress, Anxiety, relationship issues and family conflicts

Desiree lists 5 specialisms and 15 further focus areas. Specialisms are the subjects Desiree chose to list first, which is the closest a listing gets to “this is my actual practice”.

02 · In Desiree's own words

What Desiree says about the work

Reproduced in full and unedited - not summarised, not tightened, not rewritten in a house voice.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by anxiety, burnout, or relationship challenges, you’re not alone-and you don’t have to figure it out alone either. I work with individual adults who are ready to make meaningful changes, let go of old patterns, and create a life that feels more aligned. Whether you’re healing from trauma, navigating stress, or trying to strengthen your sense of self, therapy can offer a grounding path forward.

My practice is rooted in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and Attachment-Based Therapy-with a focus on mindfulness and emotional flexibility. Through our work together, you’ll gain tools to stop avoiding uncomfortable emotions and start building a more meaningful life, even in the midst of challenges.

** Please note: I primarily work Mondays after 1pm, Tuesdays and Thursdays after 3pm

Desiree Maldonado-Peluffo, on the BetterHelp listing · read 8 Nov 2026

03 · How Desiree works

The 4 approaches Desiree lists, in plain English

These are the clinical methods Desiree lists. The descriptions are Maker Therapy's, not Desiree's - a general explanation of what each method is, so the list means something before you have spoken to anybody. They are not a claim about how Desiree runs a session.

Acceptance and Commitment TherapyACT

Rather than trying to argue a painful thought away, ACT works on loosening its grip and getting on with what matters to you anyway. Sessions spend real time naming your values, then building action around them while difficult feelings are still present.

Cognitive Behavioural TherapyCBT

Structured, present-focused work on the loop between what you think, how you feel and what you then do. Usually means noticing a thought pattern in the room, testing it against evidence, and practising something different between sessions. Among the most heavily researched talking therapies for depression and anxiety.

Mindfulness-Based TherapyMBCT

Trains attention on what is happening right now - body, breath, the thought as it arrives - so distress can be observed rather than automatically acted on. Strongest evidence is in preventing depression from recurring, and it is usually taught as a practice you keep doing outside the session.

Internal Family SystemsIFS

Treats the mind as made up of parts - the critic, the one who withdraws, the one that keeps everything running - each of which is trying to protect you. The work is getting to know them rather than overruling them.

04 · What happens next

From this page to a first session

Desiree practises through BetterHelp, so the route in is BetterHelp's. This is that sequence, written by Maker Therapy from the platform's published process - not a description of Desiree's own practice, and not a promise about how quickly anything happens.

1. A questionnaire, not a booking form

   BetterHelp opens with a set of questions about what you are dealing with, what you want from therapy, and any preferences on the therapist. You are not booking Desiree at this point.

2. Naming Desiree specifically

   BetterHelp matches algorithmically by default, so asking for Desiree is a step you have to take. There is a field for requesting a specific therapist during sign-up, and you can switch afterwards from your account. Starting from a link on this page does not by itself assign you to Desiree.

3. If the caseload is full

   You will be offered somebody else rather than put on a waitlist. Worth knowing, because it is easy to assume a match is the person you asked for.

4. The first conversation

   A first session is typically history and orientation: what brought you, what has been tried, what you want to be different. It is also where the questions in the next section belong.

5. If the fit is wrong

   Changing therapist on BetterHelp does not need a reason. A first session that does not click is common and is not a verdict on therapy. That option existing is the main practical difference between a platform and a private practice.

05 · Before you commit

4 questions worth asking Desiree

Built from what Desiree actually lists, so they are answerable and specific rather than generic. Maker Therapy's, not Desiree's - Desiree has not seen them and is under no obligation to answer any of them.

• “You list both Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Internal Family Systems. Which do you lean on with someone like me?”

  Those two point in different directions - one structured and led by the therapist, the other led by you. The answer tells you what the sessions will actually feel like.

• “How do you decide when someone is ready to work on a traumatic memory itself?”

  Pacing is the biggest safety question in trauma work. A clear, unhurried answer here matters more than any credential.

• “How do you handle the gap between sessions if something comes up?”

  On BetterHelp this varies a great deal by therapist. Better to know the rhythm now than to discover it on a bad week.

• “You offer sessions in English and Spanish. Does the work change depending on which we use?”

  People often reach different material in a first language than in a second. Worth naming before you choose.

06 · Practical details

Credentials and licensing

Credential

LICSW

Licensed in

Massachusetts

Licence

MA LICSW LICSW121390

Licence number

LICSW121390

Licence expires

30 Jun 2027

NPI

1851772941

Years in practice

10

Gender

Female

Languages

English, Spanish

International clients

Not accepted

Listed since

15 May 2026

07 · Provenance

Where every line on this page came from

Desiree's name, credential, state, subjects, approaches and biography are read from BetterHelp's therapist roster, which Maker Therapy re-reads once a day; this page reflects the reading taken on 8 Nov 2026. The licence number and NPI are cross-checked against public registers.

The plain-English method descriptions, the first-session walkthrough and the questions are written by Maker Therapy and labelled as such wherever they appear.

Maker Therapy is not BetterHelp, does not take bookings, and has not met Desiree. There are no reviews or ratings on this page because we have no way to verify one. If you start therapy through a link here, we may be paid a commission - it does not change your price and it does not affect who appears here or in what order.

Something on this page wrong or out of date? Report it and it will be checked against the source.